After working all day, Wu couldn't sleep and tossed and turned.

Fu Erjin happened to be keeping watch tonight, and all his belongings were laid out outside. Although they weren't very valuable, he was still worried that someone might steal them.

Fu Erjin suddenly had an extra piece of clothing on her body. It goes without saying that it must have been brought by her own daughter-in-law.

He turned his head, his face full of tenderness, "You've been working all day, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"It's cold at night," Mrs. Wu said softly, "You don't even know to put on an extra layer of clothing."

"I'm still warm," he said, though he pulled his clothes tighter.

"Isn't Dad's snoring too loud, so you can't sleep?"

"No." Mrs. Wu lowered her head, a touch of sadness in her eyes.

It's a fine tradition in the Fu family to coax their wives, not only Fu Baimian and Fu Dagjin, but also Fu Erjin.

"What's wrong? Something bothering you? Did your second sister-in-law fight with your mother again?"

"No." Wu shook her head, but she had something on her mind and needed to talk it out. "Erjin, what do you think Dad meant by asking you to cook?"

"Are you嫌弃ing my cooking?"

"No way! You made this so delicious, I could eat three bowls in one sitting!" Fu Erjin chuckled happily.

"Don't play dumb with me, it is what it is. Besides, I wouldn't do anything fancy anyway. I know it's not good."

Fu Erjin saw that his young wife was lowering her head, a forlorn expression on her face. He felt pity and pulled her into his embrace, but he also glanced at the shed behind him. Just then, Fu Liujin was about to get up to urinate, only to be glared at by him.

Fu Liujin's mouth was flattened, he was about to wet himself.

"Daughter-in-law, don't overthink it. Your parents are just worried about you getting tired. There's only one person for each job at home, and your parents wouldn't feel comfortable asking others to help you, so they asked me to do it."

Mrs. Wu knew in her heart that after so many years of cooking, her skills hadn't improved much. On the other hand, her husband had cooked for the first time, and she found it delicious.

"Don't try to fool me. I know how hard your parents have worked, but I also know what I'm capable of. It's been five years since you've had to eat my cooking."

"Wu gave a wry smile. 'After eating your cooking, I realize how terrible mine is.'"

"Daughter-in-law, you embroider so well! The embroidery shops in town would all be happy to buy your work. It's good to be excellent at one thing, but being strong at everything is exhausting."

Wu was amused by Fu Erjin's words, a touch of girlish shyness on her face. "That's right," she said, "I can also make money embroidering."

It's not a very high paying job, just hard work for the sake of it.

The next day, Fu Erjin took over the responsibility of cooking. She steamed chicken cakes for Fu Jiujiu just like Wu did, but Wu's were either undercooked or overcooked.

It has to be admitted that sometimes effort is worthless in the face of talent.

Fujujiao finally didn't have to eat overly salty food, and she generously praised, "Second brother, it's delicious."

"Younger sister-in-law, is Second Sister-in-Law's cooking not as fragrant?" Wu shi feigned jealousy as she spoke.

“Fragrant.” Fu Jiujiao didn’t want to be a white-eyed wolf either.

"Wu gently pinched her chubby cheeks, "You sure know how to talk. You never finish what I make, but you gobble up everything your second brother cooks."

Mrs. Zhou, who had been lying in bed all day, still felt dizzy and weak in her limbs. Fu Wujin went to the town to get her some medicine. Her stomach was no longer upset, but she didn't look energetic at all.

However, after knowing Fu Erjin and starting to cook, she was first happy, but then unhappy again.

She weakly spoke, "Father, what about the two gold?
After the two gold cooks, who...who will work the fields with Big Gold? ... Cooking is so much easier, working the fields is tiring."

Fu Dajin looked at her deeply, "You just don't worry about this."

Brothers are all family, why bother comparing and competing so much.

"What do you mean, 'I don't care'? You ungrateful wretch! I... I was just worried about you."

Seeing the two of them about to fight, Fu Erjin hurriedly explained, "Big sister-in-law, rest assured, I'll still do the work in the fields as I should. If nothing else happens, I'll cook after this, it won't delay anything."

Fu Dajin glared at Zhou Shi. Although she was doing it for his own good, she was being too calculating.

When Zhou heard this, she was satisfied. “Two ounces of gold...ha ha...Second Sister-in-law means nothing bad. I'm not afraid that our land will be abandoned, am I?”

A few years ago, it was understandable to say that not weeding would lead to wasteland. But starting last year, their land has been clean and tidy, with barely any grass. Everyone finds this strange.

However, Fu Baiman felt that all of this was good fortune brought by his little daughter.

While other families weed and replant, theirs doesn't even bother to manage their field. They didn't even get around to dealing with the insect infestation this time.

Is it not a blessing that this good fortune falls upon the little girl?

"Mother, I can't really be of much help in this situation and it's a burden to have you all worry about me. I want Da Jin to send me back home for two days so I can rest and not put any more strain on you."

Tien Guihua looked at her sickly appearance and didn't expect much from her. However, since she was returning to her parents' home, surely someone would take care of her?

Is she your mother?

Is that her brother?

"Go, Goldy. Come back early."

Fu Dazhi nodded, “Mother, I understand.”

Fu Dagjin borrowed a cart from the villagers and pushed Zhou back to her home, leaving her to walk on her own. She didn't have the strength to do otherwise.

"Daughter-in-law, I know you're doing this for my own good, but what you said at breakfast today was really not appropriate. My second brother isn't that lazy."

Zhou gave him a withering look. “Knowing I’m doing this for your own good, you still say that? I'm not just being sentimental! You fool, all you know how to do is work yourself to the bone.”

"Aren't you even going to try for your own family?" Fu Dajin smiled.

This daughter-in-law, I really don't know what to say about her?

"You brought me here, can't go back right away. Rest for the afternoon and go back in the evening. By then, I'll say that my mother insists on keeping you for dinner. Understand?"

Fu Dajin sighed helplessly, "Didn't you hear what Mother said? She told me to go back early."

"Go back to work? You're really stupid, aren't you? Relaxing at my mother's house is way more comfortable than carrying bricks and laying walls, right?"

Fu Dajin shook his head. Could he still stay at her place?

For so many years, I've never had a moment to rest. I often finish my work and don't even get to eat before being sent off again.

As Fu Dajing had expected, once he arrived, a mountain of work awaited him. He was caught between two fires and couldn't afford to just sit idle with no firewood to cook their meals.

When Zhou saw her husband being ordered to chop firewood and water the vegetables without even taking a sip of water, she felt sorry for him and complained to her mother, "Mother, Dajin is working so hard."

"Where did he tire out? Look at his physique, this little bit of work wouldn't even faze him." Zhou Pozi didn't think much of this son-in-law, after all, their family was poor.

"If you don't have money, you shouldn't be asking for help?"

Then you should also let him rest his feet, have some water, and eat something.

Zhou Pozi, showing off, shook the gold bangles on her wrist, "My second sister-in-law bought this for me. He wants to drink water and eat without working hard, right? Well, pay me!"

Zhou originally wanted to keep it from her mother, that the Fu family was now wealthy. But she couldn't help but feel indignant: "Money, money, money. Do you think the Fu family is still the same as before?"

First published on the Chinese Novels Network